Door hinge and integral check



Nov. 27, 1962 F. E. FABER 3,065,497

DOOR HINGE AND INTEGRAL CHECK med oct. e, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. fWf/'S I )27267.

United States Patent O 3,065,497 DOOR HINGE AND INTEGRAL CHECK Francis E. Faber, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., assigner to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 69,993 3 Claims. (Cl. 16-142) This invention relates to improvements in hinging devices, and in particular to a hinging device and integral check for use on automobiles and like conveyances.

It has been customary in the door hingings of automobiles to employ various types of springs which urge a linger element into engagement with shoulders on one of the hinge members to thereby check relative pivotal movement o-f the hinging members at predetermined positions. These customary spring devices have not proven entirely satisfactory in that they lose their spring eect and allow the door to swing shut at inopportune times. Moreover, these devices are relatively costly and usually comprise several moving parts.

The present invention has as its principal object to provide an integral hinge and checking device which retains its ability to check the door at predetermined positions over a long period of time without losing any of its effectiveness. This is accomplished by providing a torsion arm which utilizes the inherent twisting resistance of a metal rod in order to provide the necessary checking force.

Arfurther object of this invention is to provide the aforesaid integral hinge and checking device by way of a very simple and inexpensive structure utilizing a very small number of moving parts of low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 represents a cross-sectional view of an automotive body and door showing the hinge 4and check in their closed positions;

FIGURE 2 represents a view of the hinge and check of FIGURE 1 taken along the line 2-2 thereof in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 represents a view of the hinge and check of FIGURE 1 taken along the line 3 3 thereof in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 represents a view corresponding to FIGURE l with the door in the open position.

Referring to the drawings, a front door or fender of a vehicle is positioned adjacent `a pillar structure 12 to which is bolted an L-shaped member 14 of a hinge. A door 16 is shown bolted on its inside section 18 to the web 2d of U-shaped hinge member 22. Member 22 has a leg 2:4 provided with a cam surface 26 having shoulder means 2S and 30 thereon. Member 22 is further provided with a leg 32 having a stop 34 thereon for the purpose ydescribed below.

L-shaped member 14 is provided with a leg 38 having a pair of spaced bearings 40 and 42 thereon pivotally secured between the legs of member 22 by means of a bolt 44 passing through these legs and the bearings 40, 42. An attaching leg l46 of member 14 is bolted to the center pillar 12 and is provided on one side with a projection 48 against which stop 34 of leg 32 abuts when the door is in the open position as shown in FIGURE 4 to thereby limit the opening of the door.

Mice

A pair of channel-shaped grooves 50 and 52 are provided adjacent each edge of leg 46 of member 14 and receive a torsion bar 54, one end of which 56 is received in aperture 58 in the body 60 carrying the abutment 48. The other end of rod 54 is curved at 62 'to provide an end 64 rotatably mounting a cam follower roller 66 which may be of a bearing material such as brass or steel and which is constantly urged by the action of the torsion rod into engagement with the cam surface 26.

It is seen tha-t as the door is moved from the closed position shown in FIGURE l to the position of shoulder 28 the engagement of the roller 66 with this shoulder will inhibit swinging movement of the door back to its closed position. This result is further achieved at the position shown by shoulder 30 on cam portion 26 which represents the door in its full open position as shown in FIGURE 4. It is noted that any convenient number of such shoulders could be provided.

It is seen that a very simple, economical, and highly efficient integral door hinge and check is provided by applicants invention and that the total number of moving parts is quite minimal which inherently will provide a longer lasting and more elicient integral hinge and door check than has heretofore been provided.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for hinging a door element on a structural element provided with a door opening, said apparatus comprising a first member adapted to be mounted on one of the above-mentioned elements and provided with a portion defining a cam surface, a second member pivotally mounted on said irst member and adapted to be mounted on the other of the above mentioned elements, and a cam follower and spring assembly carried by said second member, said assembly including a rod having one end thereof anchored in said second member, the other end of said rod being provided with an integral arm extending laterally of said rod and terminating in a portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of said second member, said assembly further including a cam follower on the terminal portion of said rod in resilient engagement with said cam surface so that relative pivotal movement of said members is controlled by torsional deformation of said rod imparted through said cam follower and its associated arm.

2. Apparatus for hinging a door element on a structural element provided with a door opening, said apparatus comprising a iirst member adapted to be mounted on one of the above-mentioned elements and provided' with a portion defining a cam surface, a second member pivotally mounted on said lirst member Vand adapted to be secured to the other of the above mentioned elements, and a cam follower and spring assembly carried by said second member, said assembly including a rod extending in a `direction parallel to the above mentioned axis and having one end thereof anchored in said second member, the other end of said rod being provided with an integral arm extending laterally of said rod and terminating in a depending portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of said second member, said assembly further including a cam follower pivotally mounted on the depending portion of said' rod in rolling engagement with said cam surface so that relative pivotal movement of said members is controlled `by torsional deformation of said rod imparted through Said cam follower and itsassociated arm.

3. Apparatus for hinging a door element on a structural element provided with a door opening, said apparatus comprising a rst member adapted to be mounted on one of the abovementioned elements and provided with a portion dening a cam surface having an abutment thereon, a second member pivotally mounted on said rst member and adapted to be secured to the other of the -above mentioned elements, and a cam follower and spring assembly carried by said second member, said assembly including a rod having one end thereof anchored in said second member, the other end of said rod being provided with an integral arm extending laterally of said rod and terminating in a portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of said second member, said assembly further including a cam follower pivotally mounted on the terminal portion of said rod in rolling engagement with said cam surface so that relative pivotal movement of said members is controlled by torsional deformation of said rod and engagement of said abutment by said cam follower provides a yieldable means for holding the above mentioned door in a predetermined open position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

